The BlackBerry Bold 9930's good looks, impressive feature set, and great performance will satisfy BlackBerry fans, but its high price and lack of innovation might keep non-converts at bay.
Nicole Lee
I started my career with CNET all the way back in 2005, when the (original) Motorola Razrs were all the rage. Since then, I've written about everything from consumer electronics to internet culture for outlets like CNET, Engadget and Yahoo. Outside of work, I'm a big fan of baseball, board games, tabletop RPGs and improv comedy.
The Bold 9930 has that familiar slate QWERTY form factor that we've come to associate with BlackBerry. However, it is now clad in high-end materials like a solid plastic shell, curved stainless steel sides, and a smooth glossy back plate. It ships with OS 7, a 1.2GHz processor, 720p HD video recording, Wi-Fi, an improved browser, voice-activated universal search, and more.
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Wider is better
The Bold 9930 is certainly wider than its most recent predecessor, the Bold 9700, but is about as wide as the Bold 9000 from a few years ago. This results in a bigger display and a roomier keyboard. The Bold 9930 also marks the first Bold to have a touch-screen display. The graphics are impressive, with crisp and vibrant images, and the touch screen is really responsive as well.
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Thinnest ever
The Bold 9930 is the thinnest BlackBerry yet at only 10.5mm thick.
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Lock it up
At the top of the Bold 9930 is the screen lock key.
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Camera
The Bold 9930 has a 5-megapixel camera and LED flash on the back.
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BlackBerry generation
From left to right: The BlackBerry Bold 9930, the BlackBerry Bold 9000, and the BlackBerry 9700. As you can see, the general design is still very much the same.
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Great keyboard
The Bold 9930 has the best BlackBerry keyboard we've ever had our hands on. It's roomy, spacious, and each key is larger and more tactile as well.
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Light and pocket-friendly
The Bold 9930 is quite lightweight at only 4.59 ounces.
